Breakfast

The most important meal of the day merits the best recipes. Whether you're more inclined to guzzle an almond butter smoothie rich in antioxidants or prefer savory huevos rancheros, these satisfying meals will kick off your day just right.

The most important meal of the day merits the best recipes. Whether you're more inclined to guzzle an almond butter smoothie rich in antioxidants or prefer savory huevos rancheros, these satisfying meals will kick off your day just right.

"I do love breakfast for dinner—for the record, I highly recommend it," says Noah Bernamoff. According to him, this dish of scrambled eggs with strips of house-cured fried salami and watercress is best served as a sandwich.

Megan Garrelts needs at least two days to make the rolls. She heats and serves them in mini cast-iron skillets. Baking these cinnamon rolls in big batches makes the effort worth it—they take time but are so satisfying.

When Michael Mina was a boy, his parents used to take him to the now-defunct Four Seasons hotel in Seattle for Christmas brunch, where he always ordered waffles. "They were dynamite," he recalls. This recipe is as close to the one of his childhood as he could get it. Cornmeal makes the waffles crispy; ricotta keeps them moist.

This decadent version of French toast, a Jamie West creation, is made with two slices of buttery brioche that are filled with creamy peanut butter, coated in crunchy cornflakes, toasted until crisp and topped with maple syrup and fresh berries. F&W's Grace Parisi adapted the recipe to make it easier and cheaper.

"You can make this with any grain or fruit that goes with yogurt," says Malin Elmlid. For her version of this cold cereal, she uses plain rolled grains, like oats or spelt, moistened with apples, coconut water and yogurt. When a friend brought her a goji-berry tree to barter for bread, she added a few berries right from the branch.

When baking these scones, be sure to use whole wheat pastry flour, which is less dense than whole wheat flour. Mixing in some all-purpose white flour also lightens the texture of the scones, so they're more delicate and tender.

This is a lighter take on classic huevos rancheros, which can include plenty of refried black beans. In his version, Neal Fraser uses simmered whole white beans; here, the beans are mashed with ham to form the base of the dish, then piled with corn tortillas, fried eggs and queso fresco before broiling. A warm tomato salsa tops it all off.

Baking the doughnuts and tossing them with a little butter, cinnamon and sugar makes them healthier than fried doughnuts. The sweet potato in the dough adds a lovely, earthy flavor. Instead of slowly baking the potato in the oven, microwave it for just 10 minutes.

Chef Quinn Hatfield cooks big batches of pearled barley and quinoa to keep in his refrigerator for this hot cereal, which comes together in minutes. He also uses the grains in salads. The mixture of cinnamon and chopped dates makes this breakfast nicely sweet—no extra sugar needed.

Neal Fraser's signature granola is loaded with rolled oats and dried fruit, plus cashews, almonds, pistachios and pecans. What really makes it stand out are the delicate flakes of grated coconut, which get toasty and sweet during baking.

"Saturday mornings at the deli are all about the biscuits," says Matt Neal. "Our friends, the farmers, everyone is always clamoring for them. Some people get two filled biscuits at a time, but that's a lot." When he's rolling out the dough, he gives it two turns to evenly distribute the butter and make the biscuits extra-flaky. Then he serves them with different fillings: house-made spiced pastrami (mustard is optional); cheddar and a breakfast-sausage patty; or classic strawberry jam.

Tory Miller uses a blast freezer to preserve local produce in the summer and fall. The device rapidly freezes foods before large ice crystals form, minimizing damage to fresh vegetables and fruits, including the lingonberries he simmers in maple syrup for these blintzes. Lingonberry jam makes a fine and much easier-to-find substitute.

Chef Bradley Ogden's 1987 recipe for ultrarich bread pudding is perfect for dessert or brunch. It can be made with store-bought bread, but it's best made with a fresh bakery loaf, sliced 1/2 inch thick.

In the winter, Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) fruit, like the kind sold by Cascadian Farm, is often a superior alternative to fresh fruit shipped to the US. IQF raspberries are terrific in these soft, puffy yeast rolls—a fun twist on a cinnamon bun.